Artist: Pierce The Veil
Album: Selfish Machines
Genre: Rock
Label: Equal Vision

For the better part of three years, the world has been without a new Pierce The Veil release. They’ve walked among us, touring, covering songs, doing some side projects, but as for anything new, we’ve been forced to wait. However, the wait is finally over. Pierce the Veil are back in business and trust me, business is good.

This time around, Vic, Mike, Tony, and Jamie blend their signature harmonies and echoing vocals with a new sound containing elements of Spanish, Latin, and even SoCal Punk style. This album is sure to bring in hoards of new listeners simply by virtue of all the recognizable styles they’re using, but these new listeners are sure to become lifelong fans when they hear the unique sound of the final product.

Selfish Machines is an emotionally fuelled ride filled with love, loss, and regret. Opening with “Besitos,” no time is wasted in sucking you into the album. “The Boy Who Could Fly,” a song about all the crazy things we do when we’re in love, is going to be very popular at shows. There’s room for some moshing, some mic sharing, and some very good times to be had. “Caraphernelia,” the first single off the album, features Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember’s signature screams and a sad tale about letting go of love lost. As the album moves on, “The New National Anthem,” which was originally recorded in Vic’s LA apartment, features a super catchy guitar riff coupled with heartbreaking lyrics while “I Don’t Care If You’re Contagious” seals the record as epic, emotional, and groundbreaking thanks to spot-on songwriting and brilliant instrumentation.

While Selfish Machines is an excellent album, it does have some downfalls. The parts that are auto-tuned seem a little forced and don’t fit with the rest of the album. Also, the flow of the record was a little rocky throughout. That being said, these shortcomings are greatly outweighed by the triumphs of this album. Some may have been expecting a perfect album after three years of waiting, but what they got is better than perfect. This is in no way the same Pierce The Veil from 2007. They have grown as artists and embraced a new sound, showing everyone that they’re more than just a one trick pony. After all, perfect is boring.

Rating: 8/10
Review written by: Chelsea Pickett

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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